


Feels Like Home (You're The Only One)

by Aston (AstonT)



Category: Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, Panic! at the Disco
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Asexual Character, Asexual Mikey Way, Asexuality Spectrum, Demisexual Character, Gender Issues, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Mental Health Issues, Non-binary gerard, Sexuality Crisis, demiguy Brendon, non binary character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-26
Updated: 2017-02-28
Packaged: 2018-08-27 05:33:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8389171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AstonT/pseuds/Aston
Summary: After one of his bipolar episodes and a summer to settle, Pete is transferred from a Catholic school to public school. Gaining a group instead of just Patrick, he struggles to accept himself under the strain his parents put him under to be the perfect kid. Eventual Petekey.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm well aware I don't need to do this. But I had an idea so I'm going to anyway.   
> I'm going to work out an update schedule tonight during Youth group, so things should settle into a nice routine.

Transferring to a public school from a Catholic school was disorienting.

Pete spent the first ten minutes his first day taking in the differences and ignoring the looks he got for what he was wearing - it wasn't what he was used to wearing, but it was still just as "proper" as his uniform had been.

Of course, finding his friends had been a wonderful thing.

"Pete!"

Patrick's voice was warm and happy, and Pete found himself smiling happily at the sound, allowing himself to join him. "Hey 'Trick."

Patrick gave Pete a long look before he bit back a smile. "We'll work on it," he promised, noting how uncomfortable Pete was in his surroundings and what he was wearing.

For what it was worth, Pete didn't ask what Patrick was talking about. Instead, he relaxed into easy conversation after getting names for the other two kids with Patrick.

Joe gave him an almost wild grin as greeting before he went back to his phone and Andy gave him a kind smile with the promise to help him out should he need it.

Pete found himself reveling in the niceness of it all - his old school had been torture.

Being bisexual in a Catholic school was like signing a death wish, even if he wasn't out. And God forbid that his parents ever found out. They'd either kill him or die themselves.

This brought a wry smile forward and Patrick raised an eyebrow at the sudden change. "What's going on to cause that smile?"

"Just thinking," Pete replied with a shrug. "Nothing important."

* * *

It was all vastly different - there were no Bible study classes, there weren't crosses anywhere in the school unless someone had one on a necklace, and everyone was much more...themselves. 

But at the same time it was exactly the same - everyone pretended to be something they weren't to fit in somewhere, and Pete found himself frowning once he realized it.

Come lunch, Pete had already fallen into a routine he wasn't sure he even knew.

He walked with Andy to the cafeteria, talking easily with the other boy.

Sitting down with the others with his food, Pete hesitated, uncertain for a split moment before he smiled and started eating.

Patrick watched this and laughed. "What, no prayer?" he asked teasingly.

Pete gave him a dark look before he smiled as well, speaking once he had swallowed the food in his mouth. "Why would I want to waste the time I could spend eating on praying?"

"Why indeed,"

That was a new voice and Pete gave a wary look to Patrick.

Patrick grinned, motioning for Pete to turn around as he spoke. "I see you're still eavesdropping, Gerard."

Gerard shrugged. "You have a new kid sitting with you, Patrick, of course I'm going to eavesdrop." he responded in kind, his voice showing his amusement. "By the teasing, I'd say he's like Frank and just came from Catholic school?"

Pete nodded in agreement when hazel eyes landed on him in question.

Gerard smiled in response to this. "Well, welcome to the dark side of the world. I hope you'll join us in our sins?"

Pete felt himself smile and shrugged. "Maybe, we'll see,"

Patrick was grinning at Pete in response to this easy conversation. "Right well, Pete, this is Gerard Way. Gee, this is Pete Wentz,"

"Wentz, huh?"

That was a voice Pete recognized - Frank Iero.

Black hair fell into dark eyes, and Pete was surprised at how much the boy had changed but stayed exactly the same at the same time. He hadn't been friends with him by any means, but he knew him for sure.

Frank was giving a lopsided grin. "Finally grew tired of Catholic school?"

"Something like that," Pete said with a shrug. "More my parents got too embarrassed to send me back,"

Patrick, who had been smiling while he ate, paused, his smile gone as he watched Pete.

Frank's smile had also disappeared. "What happened?" he asked, suddenly serious, confusing those who didn't know Pete like the two did.

Pete shrugged, but Patrick spoke.

"You can't just....Pete! Seriously, what happened?"

Pete raised an eyebrow at him before he returned to his food.

Patrick watched him, his mind working before he shook his head. "Fine, keep your secrets,"

After a long while, Frank spoke again. "Alright then, you still doing your poetry?"

Pete nodded in agreement with this, glancing at Frank to see him frowning.

Frank gave an amused grin at this. "You'll have to show some of it to Patrick then. Maybe if you hear someone else tell you it's like lyrics, you'll believe it,"

Pete rolled his eyes, but agreed anyway.

Patrick raised an eyebrow at Pete. "Poetry?"

"Started in class, now it's just because the lines get stuck in my head until I jot them down," Pete deadpanned. "Not like they're any good."

No one argued him on it.

* * *

The first time Pete met Mikey Way was during English class. 

It was the one class Pete was dreading the most, though he wasn't sure why.

Mikey glanced up when his name was called - Michael, which he quickly corrected with his preferred nickname.

Pete did quite the same, cringing at the sound of his actual name - it was never used unless he was in trouble.

And of course, once class started, Pete figured out why he was dreading it.

Of course their first standard would be poetry - it wasn't usually, but it was currently and he hated it.

Mikey, sitting beside him, seemed amused by his scowl, even if he never showed it.

Being the last class of the day, Pete found himself watching the clock more, ready for school to end.

And once it had, Mikey walked with him to meet up with the others.

Gerard grinned. "I see you met my brother,"

Pete gave him a deadpan look.

Patrick laughed in response to this. "C'mon, we best get you home before your parents think we corrupted you,"

"As if you could," Pete grumbled, but fell into step with Patrick towards the parking lot - he'd already told his parents that Patrick was gonna give him a ride home that evening, and they had agreed because they wholeheartedly adored Patrick.

As the two walked away, Frank spoke. "This should be interesting,"

Gerard hummed curiously, glancing at the boy.

Frank's eyes sparked when he looked to Gerard. "Pete's such a goodie-two-shoes when it comes to his parents. Don't blame him, honestly, with how active they are in the church community, but..." he frowned as he trailed off, watching Patrick's car leave the lot before he shook his head. "He isn't what he pretends to be,"

Gerard ignored this - he knew Frank was just trying to understand what was going on with Pete. It was new, but he couldn't be bothered to focus on it.


	2. Chapter 2

Pete wasn't sure he'd ever get used to being woke up by an alarm blaring in his ear from his phone. 

But it was better than his mom waking him by knocking on the door hard enough that he was worried it would break or by the sound of church bells from Catholic school. 

And so, he got up with no complaints towards the sudden waking at such an early hour, instead forcing himself through a simple routine of getting ready. 

Despite knowing he'd get looks from his mother for it, he forewent anything that looked to preppy and proper for a pair of skinny jeans that had seen better days and a plain shirt - he wasn't keen on having gym as it was, he wasn't dealing with a polo shirt on top of it all.

* * *

Patrick gave an easy smile at Pete as the black haired boy joined him by the front doors of the school. "Dressed more comfortable today?"

Pete gave him a look in response, but said nothing on the subject. Instead, he started asking questions. Most were about the small group of people he'd met yesterday and Patrick grinned as he answered. 

"There's a lot you should ask them instead of me," he said after Pete had nearly fallen into pouting at not getting answers. "They're all more than willing to answer them, I'm sure. But some of it, I don't feel right telling you,"

Pete nodded in understanding - Patrick would do the same for him, keep a secret from everyone rather than tell someone who asked. He didn't know what he'd done to gain a friend like Patrick, honestly.

"Come on, they're probably wondering where we are," Patrick said happily, pulling Pete along to the Art room.

"About time you got here!" Gerard remarked as they entered, eyes barely straying from the paper in front of him.

Frank glanced over from where he was sitting on one of the tables. "What took you so long, anyway? We saw Pete get here,"

Patrick gave a knowing smile, moving to take a seat as he spoke. "He has questions about everyone, so he asked me some of them to see if he could get a neutral opinion,"

Frank grinned. "What'd you tell him?"

Pete shook his head, slowly taking a seat as well. "That I needed to ask you guys. I forgot how loyal he is - he'll keep a secret if it kills him,"

"So ask away,"

Pete's eyes went to Mikey when the boy spoke before he nodded and settled into his questions.

His questions went all over the place, honestly. Religious beliefs was a big one - he explained why he was asking as he needed to know so that he could find a way to make his parents not hate his friends. He wasn't surprised when they were almost all either atheist or agnostic.

Once he had exhausted a lot of them, he fell silent for a long while before he sighed. "One last one....please tell me no one here is homophobic. I hate people who are like that,"

Frank gave Pete a knowing grin. "You know my answer already," he pointed out. "As well as Patrick's, I'm sure."

Gerard spoke without looking up. "None of us are homophobic. We might make jokes among each other, though, just a warning,"

Jokes were fine, Pete thought, nodding in agreement.

"And now," Andy said with a shrug. "How about you answer us some questions?"

Pete nodded again, agreeing it was only fair they got to ask him questions after he'd questioned them.

Patrick sat back and watched as they slowly started with questions.

Gerard was the one who asked the first one that Pete hesitated on. "Why are you so worried about homophobes?"

Silence fell and even Frank looked curious about the answer. Pete shrugged, but he couldn't keep the worried look off his face. "I had enough of them to deal with already,"

Frank gave an amused snort at that. "And by that you mean they assumed at Catholic school that you weren't straight and made your life hell," he commented.

Pete held his gaze before he shrugged. "Something like that,"

They moved on immediately.

"Why the transfer?" Mikey found himself asking immediately afterwards. He'd asked the same of Frank, and was curious despite himself.

Pete sighed, but answered. "I got into a fight protecting one of the girls in my class."

Patrick gave him a surprised look before he smiled faintly. "You'll get killed one of these days, you know,"

"I nearly did when I got home," Pete pointed out.

* * *

These questions continued until they had to leave for class, and Pete found himself much more at home with the small group than he had been before. 


	3. Chapter 3

With lunch came Pete handing Patrick a battered notebook containing most of his poetry.

Gerard, Mikey, and Frank joined them at their table, and Pete ignored most of the conversation out of nerves.

Patrick hummed softly as he flipped a page, looking up to Pete as he did. "Do you want me to be honest?"

"Please?" Pete responded.

Patrick grinned. "They'd make amazing songs if you finished them," he commented.

"I've been telling him that since he started writing them," Frank said in response. "He got into a bit of trouble for them before, though."

"Why?" Patrick asked in surprise, looking back up from Pete's writing.

Pete spoke immediately, quoting one of the lines he didn't have in the book. "When it all goes to hell, will you be able to tell me sorry with a straight face?" he gave a quiet laugh. "It's the only one I fully finished and I had it ripped up by a teacher,"

Patrick made a face before he sighed. "Do you remember all of it, by any chance?"

Pete gave a wry smile as he nodded.

Patrick handed the notebook back with a pencil.

Pete immediately pushed his food away and got to work on writing.

Frank watched with a knowing grin. "So, do you believe me now?"

"Yeah, yeah," Pete grumbled, waving him off. "We'll see about turning them into songs,"

No one pushed, instead letting the black-haired boy finish writing and pass the notebook back before returning to his food.

* * *

"Hi, Mrs. Wentz," Patrick said in greeting as he joined Pete in his home. 

"Hello, Patrick,"

Pete rolled his eyes, managing a greeting before he disappeared to his room.

Patrick stayed behind to talk for a minute, though. "I was wondering...my parents invited Pete over for dinner tonight. Is it okay if he comes?"

A small smile passed over an expression that Patrick knew didn't change much, and the sandy-blond haired boy grinned in response.

Ten minutes later, Patrick sighed and called out. "Pete, c'mon, we'll be late!"

Pete joined him a moment later, notebook under his arm.

* * *

Once they were back in Patrick's car and on the road, Patrick spoke. "My parents have agreed to go along with the story," he offered. "They know we're going to Gee's place, though."

Pete nodded in understanding, saying nothing about the fact that Patrick was having his parents lie for him.

Once they pulled into the drive of Gerard and Mikey's place, though, Pete blinked in surprise.

"They live on their own," Patrick said with a shrug. "We don't like to ask why,"

Pete nodded, following behind Patrick without a word.

An anxious glance around when he entered the house wasn't missed by Gerard, though.

"You good?" he asked warily. "I can get you something to calm you down if you want?"

"I thought you said you'd gotten rid of everything," Mikey pointed out as they settled in the living room.

Pete gave a wry smile. "It's fine, thanks though."

Gerard looked over to Mikey and gave a shrug. "I got rid of almost everything, yeah."

"You need to get rid of everything," Patrick pointed out. "But we just...won't mention it to anyone else, alright?'

And then things settled to a new conversation while they waited.

By the end of it all, Frank had showed up alone and immediately raided Gerard and Mikey's kitchen. Shortly following that, a couple more faces had shown up - Andy and Joe included.

"Alright, quick run through of who's who," Patrick said calmly.

But Pete was watching a familiar face in surprise. "Bren?" he asked curiously.

Brown eyes widened in surprise before a grin showed up. "Pete," he greeted warmly. "This is the first time I've seen you not in church clothes,"

"I'm guessing you two know one another?" Patrick said in amusement, and let the introductions take their toll naturally.

Pete nodded. "We grew up together,"

"His parents fucking hate me, though," Brendon added.

* * *

Once everyone had settled down, names had been given, things fell into such a calm routine that Pete felt natural in this unfamiliar setting. 

"Alright, I need pronouns," Gerard said with a sigh, looking at the few people he didn't know about. "Just to be safe,"

Pete floundered for a moment before he gave a wry smile.

Brendon spoke up first. "He/him, for now. It changes,"

Pete raised an eyebrow at the boy, but shook his head in amusement.

He learned a lot of things through this - first of all, he learned that Gerard was non-binary, and what that meant. He nodded in understanding and ignored the teasing that Brendon and Frank both threw his way.

They didn't stay on any subject for long, all just sitting around talking, eventually breaking out video games.

Mikey settled down with a bass not long after the games started, content in playing random chords.

Pete watched curiously with a small smile before he turned his attention to his notebook - a new folder with all his old poems stuck in haphazardly.

No one noticed for a while, until Pete started humming along to something Mikey was playing.

Then Frank glanced over curiously and grinned. "Taking our suggestion?"

"Don't think I won't put your head through a wall," Pete deadpanned, but grinned up at Frank. "So what if I am?"

* * *

Going home that night, Pete felt light and at ease, which was a nice change. 

He hadn't realized before that he'd stayed in a ball of emotions constantly until after all of them had bled away to leave him feeling clean in a way he'd not felt in a long time.


	4. Chapter 4

Honestly, Pete couldn't pinpoint when he started falling into the routine presented by the rest of the group, but he knew he was glad for it.

It kept him from overthinking, from pulling himself into another episode of whatever it was that made him not want to move one moment, then want to run away and never look back the next.

But those moments still happened and it infuriated him to no ends that it did.

It didn't help that Brendon, despite being on his medicine, could pinpoint it and automatically shot into doing something to help him settle back into a neutral mood.

"I don't know what's wrong with me, Bren," he said softly at lunch one day after he'd pulled the other boy away from the group to talk to him.

Brendon gave him an almost pitying look. "I don't know what to tell you, man. Try just...venting it out somehow. Go scream at someone,"

Pete gave a long sigh, but nodded in agreement, giving up on trying to figure out what was going on in his head.

When they rejoined the group, Patrick gave him a worried look before going back to what he was saying.

Naturally, Pete blocked it out, deciding on digging his notebook out and jotting down a couple pieces of a line that was floating in his head.

He only started paying attention again when he heard someone address him.

"You good, Pete?"

Pete glanced up to see Patrick watching him carefully. He hummed in agreement.

"Well, we were just discussing something, and it'd be nice if you knew what it was," Patrick pointed out.

"Sorry," Pete offered, motioning for them to continue.

Gerard spoke up then. "Well, Frank's birthday is coming up next month."

Pete understood then, and suddenly found himself glad that Frank was missing that day. "You're wanting to put something together for him?"

"If it's possible," Joe commented. "But it can't be anything huge,"

* * *

Most of the day was comprised of Pete jotting random bits of a line down and him ignoring everything around him. 

Mikey gave him a strange look through their shared English class at the end of the day, but said nothing, letting the boy be with his thoughts.

After school, Pete suffered through the conversation at Patrick's car in the parking lot.

Joe gave him a worried look after a long while of trying to get Pete to answer him.

Patrick resorted to nudging him and telling him Joe was trying to talk to him.

Pete let his eyes land on Joe curiously, but didn't verbally acknowledge him.

Joe shared a look with Andy before he spoke. "Are you sure you're feeling okay? You're acting like Brendon does in the morning when his meds are just kicking in,"

"I'm sure," Pete said, voice void of any kind of emotion or heat. "Just ready to go home,"

Andy sighed. "Get him home, Patrick. We'll come check in,"

Patrick nodded in agreement. "I'll send you the address. Just you and Joe, though. His parents are strict,"

* * *

"Pete, you have company!"

Pete groaned in response to his mom's voice, but drug himself off his bed to go get the three boys from the living room.

As soon as they were back in his room, he collapsed back on his bed.

Joe gave him a wary look. "You're not alright," he deadpanned. "Are you on any kind of medicine that you haven't taken? Have you been sleeping?"

Pete waved him off. "I've slept fine," he grumbled. "No medicine,"

Andy sat against the wall, watching Pete curiously. "Then tell us how you're feeling,"

No response came.

Patrick sighed, shaking his head. "Are you having one of your episodes, then?"

Joe's eyes landed on Patrick in surprise. "Episodes?"

Pete grumbled, but sat up and explained for Patrick. "He just calls them that. It happens, I'll have times where I get....like this I guess. Emotionally overwhelmed,"

"Dude, therapy helps that," Joe pointed out.

* * *

It was about an hour before they left Pete to himself.

Once they were gone, Pete let himself drift to sleep, not bothering to drag himself up for dinner or to change out of his day clothes.


	5. Chapter 5

Pete spent all Saturday shut up in his room writing, but Sunday he was drug out and to church.

When he got there, he saw Brendon there and waved before catching sight of Frank.

He separated from his parents to go join the two, giving Frank a strange look. "What brings you here?"

"I'm here to save you from yourself," Frank countered with a grin.

The three spent the time before church started talking, then spent the entirety of preaching staring blankly at the preacher.

Pete was careful about introducing Frank to his parents, and Frank played the part of good Catholic boy to a T, throwing a wink to Pete behind their backs.

Pete rolled his eyes, but immediately let his attention snap to his parents when they addressed him.

Once they were gone, Brendon huffed and shared a look with Frank.

* * *

Monday morning, Pete glowered at Frank as he joined the entire group in the Art room. "The fuck?"

Frank grinned at him. "Good morning, my friend," he greeted. "How was Sunday night dinner?"

"You're lucky murder is illegal," Pete growled, huffing as Patrick pulled him down into a chair.

"Now, what happened?" Patrick asked once Pete was calmer.

Pete frowned at him before he spoke. "That fuck showed up at church and talked with my parents,"

Patrick made a hissing noise in sympathy. "How bad was it?"

"Well, good news is his parents don't hate me," Frank offered, giving a wry smile.

"No, they're just pissed at me because I never let them meet my friends and I apparently hang around too many bad influences here at school," Pete shot back. "Which, by the way, you're one of. Lucky you they don't know that,"

Patrick gave a soft sigh. "You probably should've stayed home," he remarked. "I don't think I've ever seen you get this angry over anything,"

"What do you expect, Trick?"

* * *

It took Pete until lunch for him to settle back down. 

"You seem better now," Patrick remarked absently as Pete sat down with his food.

Pete nodded in agreement, giving an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I guess it's just been a while,"


End file.
